Big thank you to the podcast supporters! John Wayne Cancer Foundation - Run the GRIT Series https://johnwayne.org/ Tanri Outdoors - All Natural Sun Protection for Runners (use “ULTRA10” for 10% off) https://tanri.com/ XoSkin (use “T4U20” for 15% off) https://www.xoskin.us/ Thank you Patreon supporters! https://www.patreon.com/trainingforultra

 

 

Guest: Eliud Kipchoge

Podcast Episode 178 Title: Eliud Kipchoge - On Pain, Limits and the Possibility of Ultramarathons

Bio: Eliud Kipchoge is a legendary long-distance runner from Kapsisiywa, Kenya. Eliud began running purely as a means of transportation; how else was he to efficiently cover the 2 mile journey to school everyday? His running career truly began at age 16, though, when he met his current coach Patrick Sang. After just two years under Sang, Eliud won the Kenyan trials in the 5000 meter distance at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. The next year he returned and set the world junior record for the 5000 meter distance! After many wins and two olympics focused mainly on the 5000 meter distance Kipchoge switched to the marathon distance. His first marathon was in April of 2013 and looking back was a prophetic event; Kipchoge broke the record by two minutes. Kipchoge went on to excel at the marathon distance and boasts many national titles and two olympic gold medals in the marathon distance. Of the World Marathon Majors Eliud has won the London Marathon four times, the Berlin Marathon three times, and the Chicago Marathon once. He hopes to one day run Boston, Tokyo and New York City to complete the circuit. Of all his many accomplishments Eliud is most proud of, and most well known for, breaking the 2 hour marathon as part of the 2019 Ineos 1:59 Challenge. This was an incredible feat of human endurance and is often compared to Roger Bannister’s four-minute mile. The sub two hour marathon had been hailed as physically impossible, but Kipchoge showed that “No human is limited.” He hopes to inspire others to apply this same philosophy and self-belief in all aspects of life to help make the world a better place. The longest Eliud has ever run is 43 kilometers and he has not ruled out an ultrarunning career as part of his retirement plan! His favorite shoes are the Nike Alphafly and if you ever see him running with earbuds in, chances are he is listening to Kelly Clarkson! Eliud currently lives in Eldoret, Kenya with his family, but trains as a member of the NN running team in Kaptagat, Kenya (elevation 8291 feet). 

Quotes from podcast episode:

“I am getting the inspiration from the whole world. I am getting the inspiration from the youth across the world who believe that no human is limited. I am getting the inspiration from those people who are starting to get outdoors in the morning and run. ” 8:05

“After leaving the marathon, I want to run the ultramarathons, just to feel how it is. Running for more than 4 or 5 days. Or even run at once for 70 kilometers. I really want to feel the pain of running for a long time.” ~Eliud Kipchoge, Ep. 178 of The Training For Ultra Podcast 11:03

“The future of the world is marathon.” 12:32

“The crowd actually is really important. It pushes me to the next level. The crowd has its own percentage as far as performance is concerned… You feel that joy that you are together as a human family. It is really important, it is the best thing to happen in the race” - 13:49

“Believing in yourself, in anything in this world, is a plus it gives you the confidence to go the extra mile.” - 15:34 

“Failure you can treat as a challenge.” - 16:31

“The moment you are stretching your limits; that situation I call pain, but the more you stretch, the more you get pain and that’s where success is.” - 17:05

“It is good to have that mentality that even if you don't feel good you need to push yourself… you need to walk your talk.” - 17:58

Episode Timeline:

6:30 Kipchoge: The Last Milestone movie

7:15 Being an inspiration to others

7:33 Who inspires you?

8:30 Is it hard to smile all the time?

9:20 How much of your training do you enjoy?

10:25 Have you ever thought of running longer distances?

12:05 Why is breaking the 2-hour mark special to you?

13:19 What is it like racing without crowds due to the pandemic?

14:51 How do you believe in yourself when faced with the “impossible?” 

16:20 How do you define failure?

16:50 How do you define pain?

17:25 How to train when you do not feel like it

18:20 How do you want to be remembered? 

Social Media:

Instagram: Eliud Kipchoge - EGH🇰🇪 (@kipchogeeliud) • Instagram photos and videos Facebook: Eliud Kipchoge | Facebook Twitter: Eliud Kipchoge - EGH🇰🇪 (@EliudKipchoge) / Twitter Website: Home / NN Running Team Movie Website: Kipchoge The Last Milestone | Official Website | 23 August 2021 (kipchogemovie.com)

Sponsors: Nike, Isuzu, Coros, and Maurtens 

Guest: DAN LAMORTE

Podcast Episode 179 Title: Dan LaMorte - Stand-Up Comedy & Ultras

Bio: Dan LaMorte is an inspiring ultrarunning comedian. This great combination means you can find Dan on everything from FOX’s Red Eye and Gotham Comedy Live to Runner’s World and Muscle and Fitness. Dan’s running journey started when he was 23 years old, after he had a health scare and was told he would need to lose 15% of his body weight. This health scare motivated Dan to change up his diet and start running; he ended up losing about 180 pounds. Dan ran his first ultramarathon last March. His first ultra was the Naked Bavarian 40 mile race in Pennsylvania and his next race, which is scheduled for this November, is the 55 mile Batona Trail Race. Dan hopes to continue to inspire others to live a healthier lifestyle and if all goes according to plan, in the future you might see Dan at some of his bucket list races including Western States or the Leadville 100. 

Quote from podcast episode: 

“For me, I mean, blowing out my arm wasn't by chance. That happened because it had to have happened. It happened for me, not to me.” - 9:50

“I need to learn my own happiness outside of comedy because you can't rely on such a fluctuating industry to maintain feeling good.” - 13:20

“You know all these things have to go wrong for you to steer right… You need to hit the ground hard on your own and really come crashing down... because you need to make the decision to change.” - 14:14

“I would sleep in the storage room… I would sleep on the washer and dryer machine.” - 18:52

“The way to enlightenment is to spend time with enlightened people.” -26:24

“I was never going to be the best performer I could be at that time because I wasn't meant to be 355 pounds.  I never felt comfortable with who I was and the best performers are the ones who are completely and unequivocally themselves on stage.” - 27:14

“There was something peaceful I always found about running, but I also hated it because I was never in that great of shape.” - 30:50

“My first ultra I cried my eyes out when I hit the finish line. Ultra to me is just, I am fascinated with it. I can't get enough of it right now. I am obsessed with it. I think everyday about where I could possibly take this.” - 35:14

“..then something just happened when I got to the halfway point where the pain kinda went away. Once you hit the halfway point of a race then it becomes real that every step forward is one step closer to the finish line.” - 41:18

“Running has made me more present with my audiences.” - 46:08

Ultrarunning is all about being present and correcting the problems that present themselves in the course of the race. Stand-up is like that as well. You have to be present and then correct these problems in the crowd as they present themselves.” - 46:34

“I have never been more excited to be alive.” - 56:00

“It was a running joke that I was gonna be dead by 30….It was something that I was used to hearing.” - 1:04:32

Episode Timeline:

6:30 Origins as a college athlete and injury

13:30 Major life changes and perspective changes

16:50 Working at the Comedy Cellar

23:30 “The Table”

25:30 How your material changes as you become more and more at peace with yourself

29:20 Why ultrarunning?

36:18 Dan’s first ultramarathon

42:00 What is scarier: the stage of a comedy club or starting line of an ultramarathon?

43:18 How ultrarunning has changed Dan’s writing process, material, and attitude towards comedy

50:30 Favorite comedians and the Adam Sandler debate

54:20 The painfully humbling nature of professional comedy and amateur ultrarunning

56:00 Taking responsibility for your life and moving in the right direction

57:30 Avoiding injury

1:02:30 Comedy and life advice

1:07:20 Dan’s upcoming race

Social Media:

Instagram: Dan LaMorte (@danlamorte) • Instagram photos and videos Facebook: Dan LaMorte - Home | Facebook Twitter: Dan LaMorte (@DanLaMorte) / Twitter Website: Dan LaMorte

Big thank you to the podcast supporters! John Wayne Cancer Foundation - Run the GRIT Series https://johnwayne.org/ Tanri Outdoors - All Natural Sun Protection for Runners (use “ULTRA10” for 10% off) https://tanri.com/ XoSkin (use “T4U20” for 15% off) https://www.xoskin.us/ Thank you Patreon supporters! https://www.patreon.com/trainingforultra